November 14, 2005

Oscar reports that's what Orrin Hatch said at the ABA Tort, Trial and Insurance Practice section meeting this past weekend:

In boasting about his bipartisanship, he tells a story about his willingness to confirm Ruth Bader Ginsburg to her first judicial appointment as appeals court judge on the D.C. Circuit. Ginsburg’s advance person, when scheduling the nominee’s sit-down with Hatch, said that Ginsburg (an extremely well-credentialed feminist lawyer and law professor) “is really scared of you.” Hatch says, “I didn’t understand why anyone would be scared of me” – aw, shucks! – “but Ginsburg did come across as really timid. Remember Ruth Buzzi on Saturday Night Live? Ginsburg was the spitting image of Ruth Buzzi.”

Ruth Buzzi was on "Laugh In," of course, not SNL, but nice try at a fresh pop culture reference! More Supreme Court stuff from Hatch:

Clinton called me and ran down his list of about ten names for Supreme Court justice. His first choice was Bruce Babbitt. I said, “he’ll probably get confirmed, but there will be blood everywhere.” I suggested, “how about Steve Breyer.” Well, he picked Ginsburg for that slot, but he picked Breyer next.

AND

I attended a meeting at the U.S. Supreme Court at which some of the justices said to me, “you have to get rid of diversity jurisdiction.” I stared the Chief Justice down, and said, “we’re not going to do that.”

Nice to see he's having fun wielding power.

More about Hatch at the link, including his use of the term "shit list."

I don't know if he used the term "Lord's shit list", but I love the concept of a shit list. It is so descriptive -- the perfect expression of what it means to be on somebody's bad side. We need more Senatorial straight talk and less collegiality.

As for the lack of self-embarassment, I would suggest that it is because of his being a Mormon from Utah (I don't think Romney is nearly as much so, but he is not really from Utah).

I lived there for awhile, and am going back this week to visit friends and maybe look at another job there. But I remember a couple of years ago, when I took the bus there to pick up the rest of my stuff to drive it back to Colo. I got into the SLC bus station, and went to get a coke while waiting for my ride. And a couple of (probably married) Mormon women just pushed in ahead of me in line. No embarrasment whatsoever on their part. They were saved, and I probably wasn't.

I should note that my stereotyping of those women as Mormon wives is based on a lot of experience. It seems to me that the women there are more beautiful than average, until they get married. Then they cut off their hair, get fat, and dress frumpy. And then, wonder why their husbands run off when they get into their 40s.

In any case, Senator Hatch has always seemed the essential Utah Mormon to me. Nicest guy around, and can't understand why anyone would be scared of him. But almost arrogant in his faith. In Utah, it isn't something that is shouted, but something that is lived. Outside of Utah, Mormons seem to be ardent prostelizers. But not there in the seat of their religion.

There are still a lot of people I know there whom I really like. They are some of the most wholesome people I have ever met. But every once in awhile, when you spend a lot of time there, every once in awhile, something jumps out at you, like that incident at the fountain at the bus stop, where you remember that this is Utah and you are a Gentile.

It's interesting that Bruce ascribes Orrin Hatch's arrogance to his Mormonism. You sure it's not cause he's been a senator for the last 3,000 years?

I also have had the opposite experience than Bruce in terms of the steroetypical Mormon wife. Most of the ones I know not only don't let themselves go after marriage, they are the 40 and 50 year old moms who look like they're trying to compete with their 20 year old daughters with hairdos, nips and tucks.

That said, I'm sorry you ran across some inconsiderate people while in Utah. The Mormons I know call those people "jerks" just like you do.